Pankaj Singh

By the foothills of the mountains she prowls, a dedicated bunch of Ladakhis work passionately, to ensure her kingdom remains sacred. To the romantics and the poets and the seekers, she goes by various names: Queen of the Hills, the Ghost Cat, Grey Ghost of the Mountains -- because she is perhaps the most elusive cat there is in the wild. To them, she is simply "Shan" -- Ladakhi for snow leopard.